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Mrs. Iselin
Mrs. Iselin is the main antagonist in the novel and film The Manchurian Candidate. and mother to Raymond Shaw In the 1962 version, she is portrayed by Angela Lansbury, who recieved an Oscar nomination for the role. In the 2004 version, she was renamed as Eleanor Shaw and was played by Meryl Streep, who also portrayed The Witch in Into the Woods ''and Miranda Priestly in ''The Devil Wears Prada, and voiced Jessica Lovejoy in the ''The Simpsons ''episode "Bart's Girlfriend". Mrs. Eleanor Iselin is a Communist secret agent plotting to take over the United States government. She disguises this by creating a very patriotic public image, heading many conservative American organizations. She also marries the ultra-conservative Senator John Iselin. Her husband takes orders from her, and keeps up their image by spreading false rumors about Communist agents in the government, thus sowing disorder in the country. She is intensely controlling and holds her son Raymond Shaw under her sway for years, though he openly hates her. When Raymond falls in love with Jocie Jordan, the daughter of a liberal senator who opposes the Iselins, Mrs. Iselin forbeds Raymond to marry her. Eventually Raymond is drawn into her plot to take over America. During the Korean War, Raymond and his unit are taken prisoners by Chinese agents and brainwashed. Raymond slips into a hypnotic state when he sees the Queen of Diamonds, who reminds him of his mother. In this state, he is used as an assassin. Mrs. Iselin gets her husband nominated as the Republican candidate for Vice President. She allows Raymond to marry Jocie, in the hopes of winning Senator Jordan's support. When Jordan tells her he will fight Senator Iselin's nomination, she puts Raymond into his hypnotic state. In a trance, Raymond murders his now father-in-law, and his new wife under his mother's orders. Mrs. Iselin's plan is to have Raymond assassinate the Presidential nominee during the Republican Convention, at which point her husband will make a prepared speech that will mark him in the media as a hero, and ensure his victory, putting them both in power as President and First Lady. She confesses to Raymond that she did not mean him to become the assassin, and plans to take revenge on her former Communist masters when she is in power. Unfortunately, Raymond's army friend Ben Marco manages to discover Mrs. Iselin's hold on him, and breaks it. Instead of carrying out his orders at the convention, Raymond shoots Senator Iselin, then his mother, before killing himself. It is strongly hinted that Mrs. Iselin has an obsessive, sexual attraction to her son. While he is in his trance state, after explaining her plan to him, she kisses him passionately on the mouth. In the novel, it is strongly implied that they have sex while Raymond is hypnotized. It is also implied that she is a heroin addict. Category:Spy Category:Corrupting Influence Category:Female Category:Related to Hero Category:Parents Category:Obsessed Category:Lawful Evil Category:Perverts Category:Hero's Lover Category:Love Rivals Category:Lover Stealers Category:Deceased Category:Psychopath Category:Spouses Category:Conspirators Category:Traitor Category:Power Hungry Category:Xenophobes Category:Supremacists Category:Pure Evil Category:Book Villains Category:Thriller Film Villains Category:Provoker Category:Rogues Category:Non-Action Category:Vengeful Category:Envious Category:Totalitarians Category:Destroyer of Innocence Category:Rapists Category:Addicts